Читать книгу Love Like Crazy - Crystal B. Bright - Страница 11

Chapter 3

“Miss Shields!”

The raised voice got Avery’s attention before the snickering around her from her classmates registered. “Yes. I’m listening.”

First lie of the day. Forget burning a candle at both ends. Avery’s candle had been thrown into a fire pit and melted all to hell. Going straight from cleaning toilets to a statistics class paled in comparison to being able to take a hot bath and then a long nap, one with the air-conditioning on while remaining bundled up under a cozy comforter.

Enough daydreaming. Avery blinked and even started bouncing her knees under her desk to look alert when she caught her professor’s glare.

“What did I say?” He placed his fist on his hip.

Knowing Professor Klein, some sort of test or quiz would be on her horizon. She took a stab at the answer since she had almost zonked out a couple of minutes ago.

“Quiz on Friday.” If she said it with confidence, maybe she would come off as attentive.

Her instructor regarded her for a moment before saying, “I sincerely hope you’re ready for it.”

Avery exhaled, but quickly realized she would be tested on subject matter she had no clue about. She needed to pay attention if she planned on graduating on time. For her final semester, she had to make this good.

At the end of the class, Avery gathered her belongings and started to go.

“Miss Shields, may I see you for a moment?” Klein waved his hand in the air to summon her to him.

Damn.

Avery slung her bag on her shoulder before she approached her teacher. Luckily, this class ended her day. She didn’t have to rush off to another class or lab. Sleep sounded good, but she couldn’t do that until she did some hard studying and finished a paper for another class. She hoped after all this hard work, it would be worth it in the end.

“Yes, sir.” She stood next to the desk.

“There’s a nice coffee shop downstairs.” The older man slowly loaded books and papers into a vintage-looking briefcase.

Avery blinked at his statement.

“And at the convenience store across the street, I understand they sell those energy drinks that are supposed to make your heart race.”

She started to understand her professor’s agenda with this conversation.

“And if you walk early enough in the morning time before the sun comes out, it might get some blood flowing so that you feel revitalized.” He pumped his fist covered in green and purple thick veins in the air.

“I understand.” She started to walk away.

“No. I don’t think you do.” Professor Klein adjusted his horned-rimmed glasses on his thin nose before he approached her. “You’re one of my better students in here.” He cleared his throat. “When you’re awake.”

“I’m sorry for nodding off. It’s hard juggling a couple of jobs, bills, and school.” Avery looked back at the students milling out of the room. To her, they all looked like babies. “I’m not like the rest of these students. I have responsibilities.”

“So do I.” He clasped his hand in front of his body. “I need to make sure all of my students are grasping the work. That’s my job.” He pointed to her. “Your job is to show up. I don’t mean just physically.” He pointed to his temple. “You have to be here in your head, too. You have to work hard to get what you want because no one else is going to give you anything.” He placed his hand on her arm. “If you need help or if you want to talk, my office door is always open.”

The offer didn’t come off as perverted or weird. Professor Klein regarded Avery like she would be conquering the world one day. Too bad she didn’t feel that way.

“Thanks for the talk. I’ll be more alert for the next class. I promise.” She headed to the door.

“Chapters twelve and thirteen.”

Avery turned back to her teacher.

“Read those chapters in preparation for the quiz on Friday.” He met up with her at the doorway. “By the way, good guess on the quiz. I guess I’m a little too predictable.”

Avery smiled. Yes, very good thing.

“See you in a couple days.” He strolled down the hallway.

Avery took the stairs down to the bottom floor and rushed across campus to the library. She would need to find a quiet corner to hide herself for a couple of hours before heading to her quiet, lonely apartment.

She scaled the stairs up to the library’s third floor, her usual sanctuary. She burst through the door and headed to the reference section. Thanks to Google, no one used that part of the library anymore. Therefore, it remained serene.

She got to the corner desk area where she normally sequestered herself, and had to stop in her tracks when she heard voices. Not voices really. Sounds. Moaning.

Avery stopped at the end of a wall of bookshelves and peered around the corner. She spotted a young couple kissing and groping each other in the place where Avery wanted to hide herself and study. Who knew that she had been using a spot that must have looked like the sexiest area in the library?

She watched the young man snake his hand up the woman’s T-shirt. Avery could only see motions as his hand moved around under the thin fabric, but that didn’t take away from the salacious nature of this impromptu show.

The woman let out a small cry at one point. Avery imagined that the guy must have squeezed her nipple. She couldn’t see his other hand. Maybe he had moved it down her body to her backside.

Damn. Had it been that long since she had been in a relationship? Not even a relationship. Sex. Avery missed being intimate with a man. Touching him. Teasing him. Tasting him.

She had to get out of there. Forget studying. As much as she didn’t want to because the place reminded her of her own loneliness, Avery would go to her apartment and attempt to study there.

After a hefty trek across the college campus, she got to her car and took her time getting home. When she got to her apartment building, she sat in her car for a while in silence.

Her mother hadn’t called her yet, but she knew that would be coming soon. Her father should be sleeping. He had worked hard last night alongside her. Her friends all had serious day jobs where they couldn’t call her like they used to when they worked at low-level retail or fast-food jobs.

Avery went into her lonely apartment. At least she cleaned it. If her mother stopped by, which she did sporadically without warning, she wouldn’t have to hear her mother comment on the messy condition.

Avery started to head to the couch in the living room and stopped. If she sat on that thing, with its brown, suede-like material and overstuffed cushions, she would be out like a light in no time. Right now, she needed to be alert.

She set her items on the breakfast bar in her kitchen and sat on the stool next to it. Avery opened her book to the right chapter, took out her notes that she had managed to scribble during class, fired up her laptop, and stopped. Her thoughts kept tripping over the couple in the library.

Reckless behavior like that could only lead to trouble. Avery had been there before. She rested her hand on her midsection for a moment before she slid her hand down her thigh.

Come on. Get it together. Concentrate.

Avery read the first line of chapter twelve in her statistics book, and then reread it again and again and again. Every time she blinked, images of that couple entered her mind. If she didn’t do something to purge the thoughts from her head, it would drive her insane.

A typical woman might have gone to her trusty battery-operated boyfriend. Avery pulled out a notepad she always carried with her and removed the purple pen she kept attached to the spiral ring. She opened it to a blank page and wrote Secret Wish across the top.

It took her no time to write a song based on lovers stealing away time to find each other. The more she thought about the song, the more she saw herself as the woman, hiding in a darkened corner with a sexy man. They would kiss and touch. As soon as it got too much for her to take, she would…run away.

Avery slammed her pen down. She had to stop letting her past rule her present, particularly when it came to her art. Songwriting and singing gave her the freedom to be herself.

She took a breath and leaned her head back for a moment before redirecting her attention back to her song. She ended the lyrics the way it should end. The woman in the song realized she could be stronger without him, and she got with the next man. Nothing lasts forever.

* * * *

“Come on, girl. You can make it.” Avery’s sputtering Ford rolled into the parking lot of Uncle Pig’s Diner.

The slight sunlight in the early morning casted a faint glow over the restaurant. She exhaled as soon as she parked her old car by the back door. At least Avery made it to work on time.

Avery started to go around to the front door when the back door opened and Jessie emerged with a cigarette in between his fingers. As the dishwasher, he had direct access to the back door.

“Thanks, buddy.” Avery patted the short man on his shoulder as she bolted through the open door.

“You know I’m here for you.” Jessie laughed.

Avery deposited her personal items in a locker in the employees’ break room before she rushed to the kitchen. She found two other waitresses and the cook milling around.

“Did you bring your books?” Bruno peered up at Avery as he checked out the flat-top cook top and grill.

Avery did all she could to not roll her eyes. “Did you and my parents get together and decide how to torture me or does it come naturally?” She picked up an order pad and pencil as she regarded the older man.

“I’m doing what I can to make sure you don’t end up working here the rest of your life.” He pointed to her with a silver spatula.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Mona winked before she draped her arm around Avery’s shoulder. “He is right, you know.”

This time Avery did groan. “Not you, too. This diner is the only place I don’t have to think. I just want to work, collect my shitty tips, and go home.”

“We can dig that.” Graciela strolled over to the group of them. “We also know that you have dreams. That’s more than the rest of us have.” She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “You would get better tips if you wore the right uniform.”

By uniform, Graciela referred to Uncle Pig’s request that the waitresses outfit themselves with what Avery called bootie shorts, shorts so short and tight that a yeast infection would definitely follow. Besides that, Pig also wanted them to wear tight T-shirts. At least Uncle Pig provided the shirts.

“Respectable tips for respectable outfits.” Besides, if Avery’s parents showed up to the diner, which they have done in the past, she knew the lecture afterward would be legendary.

“Hey, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I look like fucking Queen Elizabeth in this getup.” Mona nudged Graciela with her elbow. “Besides, my plan is to marry Mr. Wonderful.”

“Good luck finding a guy like that at this shitty little diner.” Graciela shook her head. “Oh, wait. You did find your Prince Charming. Or should I say Prince Pig?”

She reached back and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. In her assigned outfit, she showed off her womanly curves. That didn’t mean that Avery would be going down that route. She liked her jeans and normal-fitting Uncle Pig T-shirt with its tasteless slogan, “Eat like a pig.”

“Hey, hey, hey. Don’t bad mouth the place that pays you.” Uncle Pig walked into the kitchen area. “We’re just about to open. You all ready?”

Mona and Graciela stood up straight and saluted their boss. “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

“Smart-asses.” He shook his head. “Specials today are the pancake breakfast with a choice of eggs, hash browns or grits, and meat. We’re also doing a breakfast burrito.”

“You mean with all the stuff you couldn’t sell yesterday?” Mona giggled.

“Again, smart-ass.” Pig pointed to Mona.

“Good thing you love this ass.” She turned her backside around to him.

For as imposing as Uncle Pig looked with his massive height, large belly, and big, bushy beard that made him look like Santa Claus’s wayward brother, whenever he looked at Mona, his longtime, live-in girlfriend, he looked like he melted. Too bad to everyone else, he acted true to his namesake.

Mona reminded Avery of an older sister. The African-American woman’s skin tone matched Avery’s, but she kept her hair natural, large and fluffy.

“It’ll be a good day today.” Pig faced Avery. “Are you here all day or do you have classes?” He damn near rolled his eyes when he asked her about her classes.

“You’ve got me all day.” She leaned against the large stainless steel sink. “I’ll even stay after we close at three to help clean up.”

“Or you can let her go so she can study.” Mona nudged her man.

“Or, even better, Avery can come with us tonight to Songbirds and blow us away.” Graciela nibbled on her lower lip as she stared at Avery with expectation.

“Did I hear a Songbirds trip tonight? I’m in for some karaoke.” Jessie leaned his head back to corral his long, thick black hair before he covered it with a black-and-white scarf and tied it in the back of his head.

Graciela sidled up next to him. “Are you going to sing this time?”

He placed his hand over his heart. “I would, but I don’t think you’re ready to handle the Filipino version of Justin Timberlake.” Then he proceeded to warble a few lines from one of the singer’s popular songs.

Despite being a few inches shorter than Graciela, Jessie had more bravado than most men Avery knew. That also meant that he didn’t keep a steady relationship.

“I would love to do karaoke tonight.” Avery didn’t have to think about it.

“I hear a but.” Bruno shifted his weight to one side.

“I have a quiz tomorrow.” With Avery’s professor’s warning, she didn’t want to mess up her chances of doing well.

“So no staying late and definitely no club tonight.” Bruno wagged his finger at her.

“And if you were my father, I would agree with you.” Avery winked at the surly cook.

“Hell, even if Bruno was your daddy, you still wouldn’t listen.” Graciela bumped her hip against Avery’s. “I can come pick you up since your piece-of-shit ride is on its last leg.”

“All of you will be on your last legs and out of here if you don’t get to work.” Pig pointed to Mona. “Open the front door.” Then he pointed to Avery. “I want you working the back tables.”

Avery huffed and shook her head. Those tables equated to low if any tips. “Can I get the bar for part of the day at least?”

“Sorry. Mona’s spot. Senior waitress gets first preference.” Pig snorted.

Mona shrugged. “Sorry, dear.” She pointed to herself. “Ten years over your year.”

Avery couldn’t wait to graduate and, hopefully, get a better job. “Fine. I’ll smile my ass off.” She started with one big enough that it hurt her cheeks.

“Good girl.” Pig capped the statement with a pat on her backside.

Yep, he definitely earned his nickname.

“I told you about doing that.” Avery faced the big man.

“Come on, honey.” Graciela pulled Avery out to the dining room area. “You know he doesn’t mean it.”

“That doesn’t make it okay. I’m not a piece of meat.” She turned to Mona. “Or his woman.”

Mona unlocked the door before she sashayed over to Avery. “Don’t get sensitive about it. He does it to everyone.”

“Yeah? Does he do the butt pat to Bruno and Jessie, too?” Avery crossed her arms. “You need to keep your man in check.”

Mona’s full lips pressed together so hard that it formed a thin line. “Don’t get cute unless you want to have even more time on your hands to study.”

Avery cocked her head and glared at the woman in front of her wearing an outfit suitable to work around a stripper pole. “Are you threatening me?”

Customers started filing into the restaurant just as Mona answered.

“Absolutely.” She moved in closer to Avery. “Trust me. He doesn’t want you. Be flattered and move on.”

Avery shook her head. No way could this woman think Uncle Pig’s behavior constituted as something normal or acceptable. Avery needed to get out of this hellhole, and soon. Until she could do that, she would have to put up with her boss’s mess.

Graciela sauntered by Avery.

Avery captured her arm and pulled her back. “Pick me up at seven.”

Graciela’s eyes widened. “Drinks and singing?”

Avery nodded. “A whole lot of singing. Just don’t say anything to anyone else. I know Jessie wants to go, but I don’t need to hear a lecture from Bruno. I need to do this for me.”

She did just that as soon as she got off work, took a couple of bites of leftover Chinese takeout she had in a carton in her refrigerator, and studied for an hour. Avery stopped thinking about school as soon as Graciela arrived.

Avery needed to release some pent-up energy. Nothing did that more than singing her heart out with an emotional song.

“You really shouldn’t get so worked up by Pig.” Graciela pulled into Songbirds’ parking lot. “You know he doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“I don’t care what he means. I know what it feels like to me and what it looks like to others.” Avery shook her head. “It’s disrespectful. If I didn’t need the money, I would be gone.”

“Don’t let Uncle Pig hear that. He’ll cut you quick.” Graciela swiped her hand over her throat to illustrate her point.

“I’m sure I can get another waitressing job.” A new job that would work with her schedule, especially mid-semester, would be challenging.

If pressed, Avery would go. Her dignity meant more. If her parents caught wind of her boss’s impropriety, she would never hear the end of it.

Avery and Graciela strolled through the door of the bar/restaurant and got hit with a bad rendition of “Proud Mary.” God bless the man who warbled the tune and included Tina Turner’s hip shaking and frantic dance moves, but he definitely butchered the song. Good thing these places existed for people to have fun, not start a career.

“Hey, ladies.” One of the regular waiters strolled over to Avery and her coworker. “Thank God you’re here.” He nodded toward Avery. “The talent is low tonight.”

“Come on. The guy has a smile on his face. Must mean he’s having fun.” Avery went over to a table positioned to the side of the small stage area.

“At least he’s having fun.” The young man stood by Avery’s table until Graciela sat down. “You are performing tonight, right? Don’t tease me.”

“Of course she is.” Graciela winked.

“Damn. What are you, my manager?” Avery picked up the laminated menu that remained at the table.

Going from diner food to dive food didn’t suit her, but she needed something to settle her stomach.

“Yeah. And if you don’t start dating pretty soon, I’ll be your pimp, too.” Graciela laughed before she ordered her drink.

As usual, Avery stuck with water. “Loaded nachos for me.”

“You got it.” The waiter nodded.

“You think it’ll get here before I go up?” Avery didn’t need to look through the establishment’s song book.

She knew which song she wanted to do. After the day she had, the song rolled around in her head all day.

“Oh, you are going to close this place down if I have anything to do with it. We definitely need someone strong to end the night.” He gave her a wink.

Before Avery could argue that she needed to get home at a decent time, the waiter left to fill their orders.

“I can’t stay late.” Avery shook her head. “I have to go to class in the morning, and I have a quiz.”

She had studied, but she could use a bit more time to go over the material before the morning.

“You will be fine.” Graciela patted Avery’s hand. “You’re young, and things work out for you.”

If only that had been true. Life had been a struggle for Avery, and getting harder daily.

“Don’t forget. I have to go to work tonight, too. Since it’s with my dad, I can’t be late.” It would be bad enough if she went to work smelling like cigarette smoke.

No one smoked inside Songbirds, but as soon as she hit the door to leave, all the smokers would be there, puffing their stench in her direction. At least she got to sing.

Two hours into their evening, Avery finally got her chance.

“Okay, folks. We have our resident star. Taking the mic is Avery who is going to be tearing it up with her rendition of the Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand hit, ‘Enough is Enough.’ Let’s give her a hand.” The DJ started the applause going and the modest crowd in the restaurant joined him.

As soon as Avery got up to the microphone on its stand and stood under a slightly brighter overhead light, some of the clapping became more enthusiastic. Apparently, Avery must have had some fans there who knew her talent.

The original song started off softly, but Avery wouldn’t go that route. She had something to say, something to get off her chest. She belted the tune and kept it high octane throughout the song until the very end.

She didn’t mind grabbing her audience by the throat and holding them hostage throughout her performance. At the high note at the end, she held it out as long as she could. Avery felt the muscles in her neck tightening each second of her closing note until she finally closed her mouth.

She felt purged. She certainly had had enough of everything. Drama, judgments, expectations, loneliness. Like the song said, no more tears.

The rousing applause from the diners lifted Avery’s spirit. She did a slight bow as she smiled and went back to her table.

“You killed, lady.” Graciela hugged Avery before she sat down. Then she pointed to the microphone. “That’s where you really belong. Definitely not in school, and for sure not slinging hash at Uncle Pig’s.”

Avery chuckled. “As soon as DJ Khaled or some other record executive walks through that door and offers me a contract, you’re going to continue seeing me hauling books and slinging hash.”

When she pointed to the door, she froze when she saw a man come through who she hadn’t seen at Songbirds before. In his suit, he looked out of place. Peanut and sunflower seed shells littered the hardwood floor, and the dim lighting, meant to make shy singers feel more comfortable, also managed to hide a multitude of sins in the audience.

He had his dirty blond hair parted to the side, which made him look ultra straightlaced. From where she sat and the darkness of the place, she couldn’t tell his eye color. In her mind, she imagined him being a typical blond-haired, blue-eyed stunner. With fine guys like that, Avery needed to keep her distance. That didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize.

She glanced down at her watch and cursed. “I’m going to be late for work.”

“It’s your dad.” Graciela shrugged. “He’ll forgive you.”

“Doubtful.” She finished off her water and stood. “I’ll settle the bill. You get the car.”

“Fine. See you out front.” Graciela sauntered through the restaurant.

Avery couldn’t help but notice her friend’s double take when she walked by the man she had been staring at as soon as he walked into the restaurant. She also noticed that the guy didn’t look at Graciela, a striking beauty herself.

Gay or married or both.

Or maybe he didn’t get down with folks outside of his race. Graciela embraced her Latina look and heritage, which made her stunning. Avery kept her look low key and simple. So why, when he connected his gaze to hers, did he stop and stare for longer than normal?

Avery returned the stare, and felt her insides becoming hot. She chalked the feeling up to the spicy nachos she had eaten earlier and not the fact that this stranger, with his full lips and disarming good looks, just rendered her motionless.

If she had any hope of keeping her job, she would have to stop fantasizing and get going. After paying their bill, she cut her way through the crowd.

“Great song,” one diner said to her as she passed a table.

Avery smiled and nodded, but kept it moving.

“Great voice.” An older man patted Avery’s hand.

“Thank you.” She nodded to him.

“When will you be back?” a diner asked.

Avery glanced at the handsome man, who now made his way to the bar area. “I don’t know. Hopefully soon.”

“I would pay to hear you sing. You’re incredible.”

Nice to hear, but it wouldn’t pay Avery’s bills. Getting to work and finishing her degree would get her the life she wanted.

“Buddy, you just missed the best singer here.”

Avery overheard their waiter making the comment as soon as she hit the front door. She turned in time to see that her waiter had spoken to Mr. Hotness.

As soon as he started to bring his attention to her, she bolted from the door. She had gotten enough admiration from people in the audience who she had seen there before. Questions from a stranger held no interest to her, and it would delay her from getting to work on time.

It did feel good to be complimented and admired like that. If she could bottle that feeling, she would take it with her everywhere. For now, she had coveralls to wear and toilets to clean.